[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 234 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 234

    Expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the fifth year of 
imprisonment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by Burma's military dictatorship, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 28 (legislative day, June 7), 1994

   Mr. Moynihan (for himself, Mr. Pell, Mr. Simon, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. 
     Kennedy, Mr. Helms, and Mr. Pressler) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the fifth year of 
imprisonment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by Burma's military dictatorship, 
                        and for other purposes.

Whereas on July 19, 1994, Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will 
        have endured five years of unlawful house arrest by the State Law and 
        Order Restoration Council (in this preamble referred to as the 
        ``SLORC''), the military junta in Burma;
Whereas on May 27, 1990 the people of Burma voted overwhelmingly in a free 
        election for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy;
Whereas despite numerous pledges, the SLORC has failed to honor the results of 
        the May 1990 elections;
Whereas the United States recognizes the individuals who won the 1990 elections 
        as the legitimate representatives of the Burmese people;
Whereas the United States has not sent an ambassador to Rangoon to protest the 
        failure of the SLORC to honor the 1990 elections and the continued human 
        rights abuses suffered by the Burmese people;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly stated in resolution 48/150 that no 
        evident progress has been made to restore democracy in accordance with 
        the will of the people of Burma as expressed in the 1990 election;
Whereas the Special Rapporteur for Burma appointed by the United Nations 
        Commission on Human Rights has been denied access to Daw Aung San Suu 
        Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma;
Whereas the Government of Thailand has in the past generously provided safe 
        haven to the many Burmese forced to flee the brutal repression of the 
        SLORC regime;
Whereas despite pressure from the SLORC, the Government of Thailand has allowed 
        Burmese democracy leaders to operate within its borders, and has granted 
        visas for international travel;
Whereas recent reports indicate that the Government of Thailand has adopted more 
        restrictive policies toward Burmese refugees in Thailand;
Whereas reports have indicated that some Rohingya refugees located in Bangladesh 
        have been returned to Burma against their will; and
Whereas the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will 
        meet in Bangkok, Thailand in July 1994, and the SLORC has been invited 
        to attend the opening meeting: Now, therefore, be it hereby
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States 
Government should--
            (1) enunciate a clear and strong policy to promote 
        democracy in Burma;
            (2) strongly encourage ASEAN members at the meetings in 
        Bangkok in July to join United States efforts to--
                    (A) seek the immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu 
                Kyi and all other political prisoners in Burma and 
                allow them to participate fully in the Burmese 
                political process;
                    (B) achieve the transfer of power to the winners of 
                the 1990 democratic election;
                    (C) join the arms embargo which the United States 
                continues to maintain against Burma; and
                    (D) end the gross human rights abuses perpetrated 
                by the SLORC, including torture, arbitrary arrests, 
                executions, forced labor, forced relocation and the 
                rape and trafficking of women;
            (3) clearly and publicly indicate the continued opposition 
        of the United States to SLORC participation in ASEAN;
            (4) work to implement United Nations General Assembly 
        resolution 48/150, unanimously adopted on December 20, 1993, 
        and pledge to seek international sanctions through the United 
        Nations, including a multilateral arms embargo, and the 
        appointment of a special envoy to facilitate the transfer to 
        democracy in Burma;
            (5) oppose commercial arrangements that only provide 
        financial support for the SLORC;
            (6) oppose foreign aid and financial assistance from 
        international financial institutions such as the World Bank and 
        the International Monetary Fund which only provide financial 
        support for the SLORC;
            (7) encourage the Government of Thailand to allow Burmese 
        political leaders and refugees, including the Karen, Mon, and 
        Karenni, and other ethnic groups, to continue their efforts to 
        bring democratic change to Burma without fear of harassment or 
        other pressure;
            (8) continue the current United States policy of not 
        sending an ambassador to Rangoon until such time as the SLORC 
        has taken concrete steps to end human rights abuses and 
        transfer power to the democratically elected leaders of Burma; 
        and
            (9) investigate claims of forced repatriation of Rohingya 
        refugees and encourage adequate monitoring to prevent Burmese 
        refugees from being repatriated against their will.

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